Alyssa Yell is a travel writer and freelance copy editor in San Francisco, California.

Giant for a Day: Sequoia National Forest, California

We all have different comfort levels when it comes to weekend getaways and the great outdoors. And we all know that's something I'm working on, too -- getting braver and more adventurous when it comes to being alone in areas where "being alone" is actually a thing.

For others, I fully realize that getting outside the apartment for a few days is a struggle.

My good friend, B, is one of those people. She has a subconscious riddled with anxiety and nervousness that can make ordinary routines difficult. So when she told me her husband was leaving for the weekend and she wanted a mini getaway from San Francisco, I jumped on the opportunity to offer nearby suggestions and join her on her journey. We settled on Sequoia National Forest, a park 6 hours from San Francisco that was dog-friendly and had open campsites.

Our weekend was mellow -- we headed down after work on Friday, made it to the campsite eeeearly Saturday morning, walked amongst beautiful Sequoias for breakfast, wandered into a waterfall for lunch, and checked out a large granite overlook for dinner. By nightfall, B was ready to set an early Sunday-morning alarm and head back to San Francisco.

We all have different comforts, and we stretched the boundaries of hers away from home. It was fun for me to offer rudimentary knowledge of camping and trails -- but most importantly, it took a lot for B to be a giant for one day.

Giant Sequoia, Sequoia National Forest, California

B and her dog, Trail of 100 Giants, Sequoia National Forest, California